New South Wales - Australia 2004 - page 225

Broken Hill Overlander Motor Inn This is my favorite place to stay in Bro-
ken Hill, although admittedly that's not really saying much in this Outback
town. It's set way back from the road, has nice green areas and barbecue facili-
ties, and is very quiet. The more expensive AAA-rated four-star rooms are much
nicer than the cheaper variants, and considerably larger. Two family rooms sleep
up to six in a combination of single and queen-size beds. You can order off sev-
eral menus supplied by local restaurants, and with the hotel supplying plates and
cutlery.
142 Iodide St., Broken Hill, NSW 2880. & 08/8088 2566. Fax [phone]. www.bestwestern.com.au/
overlander. Reservations can be made through Best Western ( & 800/780-7234 in the U.S. and Canada,
0800/39 3130 in the U.K., 0800/237 893 in New Zealand, or 13 17 79 in Australia). 15 units. A$85-A$135
(US$55-US$88) double; A$135 (US$88) 2-bed unit. Extra person A$10 (US$6.50). AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities:
Small heated outdoor pool; sauna; tour desk; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms. In room:A/C,
TV, dataport, coffeemaker, fridge, hair dryer, iron.
Mario the Palace Hotel With its high painted walls, a mural of Botti-
celli's Birth of Venus on the ceiling two flights up, and an office crammed with
stuffed animal heads and crabs, the Palace Hotel is an intriguing sanctuary for
the night. The owners have put a lot of work into restoring the place. The more
expensive doubles are larger and come with a small lounge area, but all are com-
fortable and cool. Ten double rooms come with an attached shower. The Priscilla
Suite is famous because that's where the transvestites stayed in The Adventures of
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Mario owned the place for “donkey's years,” as he
says, but he's now retired. It's still run by his family.
227 Argent St., Broken Hill, NSW 2880. & 08/8088 1699. Fax [phone]. [e-mail].
51 units, 10 with bathroom. A$44 (US$29) double without bathroom; A$53-A$70 (US$35-US$46) double
with bathroom. Priscilla suite $90 (US$59) for 2. AE, MC, V. Amenities: Bar; dining room. In room:A/C, TV,
fridge, coffeemaker, iron.
Underground Motel I love this place; it's worth making the scenic trip
out to White Cliffs just to stay here for the night. All but two of the rooms are
underground; they're reached by a maze of spacious tunnels dug out of the rock
and sealed with epoxy-resin to keep out the damp and the dust. The temperature
below ground is a constant 72°F (22°C), which is decidedly cooler than a sum-
mer day outside. Rooms are comfortable though basic, and toilets and showers
are shared. Turn the light off, and it's dark as a cave. Every night guests sit around
large tables and dig into the roast of the day. (Vegetarians are catered to, also.)
Smiths Hill, White Cliffs (P.O. Box 427), NSW 2836. & 1800/021 154 in Australia, or 08/8091 6677. Fax 08/
8091 6654. 30 units, none with bathroom. A$83 (US$54) double. A$25 (US$16) 3-course meal. Extra person
A$24 (US$16). MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; small heated outdoor pool; coin-op laundry; nonsmoking
rooms.
WHERE TO DINE
The best place for a meal Aussie-style is at one of the local clubs. You'll find one
of the best bistros at the Barrier Social & Democratic Club, at 218 Argent St.
( & 08/8088 4477 ). It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's also a host of
Chinese restaurants around town, including the Oceania Chinese Restaurant
on Argent Street ( & 08/8087 3695 ), which has a A$7 (US$4.55) lunch special.
LIGHTNING RIDGE: OPALS GALORE
793 (492 miles) NW of Sydney; 737km (457 miles) SW of Brisbane
Lightning Ridge, or “The Ridge” as the locals call it, is perhaps the most fasci-
nating place to visit in all of New South Wales. Essentially, it's a hard-working

Value